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Across the Earth there are traces of a mysterious place unlike anything that exists today - a super-continent called Pangaea. It was a land of extremes, with enormous mountains higher than the Himalayas, and a vast desert five times the size of the Sahara. About 200 million years ago, it began to break apart. Seven new landmasses were created from the remnants of the old - our continents. Piecing together clues from across the globe, Dr. Iain Stewart reveals how the defining moments of the continents' formation forged their incredible natural diversity and changed the course of human history. He uncovers evidence hidden in the rocks, the landscapes and even the animals - all of which tell us how the land we live on was created.

Dr. Iain Stewart explores how our continents came to be, beginning with Africa - the cradle of humanity and a land born from violent, cataclysmic events. (1 of 4)

Australia

Australia was part of a super-continent; its deserts covered in forests. Once joined to Antarctica, it split off and moved northwards into warmer climes, while Antarctica became an icy wasteland. (2 of 4)

America

From the bedrock the Empire State Building is built on, to the Spanish empires in South America, the two land masses of North and South America are linked by geology and history. (3 of 4)

Eurasia

Europe and Asia are part of the same vast landmass, Eurasia. Shaped by a series of collisions, mountain ranges have been pushed up, valleys created and a once great ocean has come and gone. (4 of 4)